


Chasing Love

by AngelLunaSky



Series: Games of Love [2]
Category: Kaitou Saint Tail
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-20
Updated: 2008-08-20
Packaged: 2017-11-16 23:07:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/544838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelLunaSky/pseuds/AngelLunaSky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Published on FF.net in 2008-09]<br/>Sequel to Hide and Seek<br/>Five years after Meimi's disappearance Asuka arrives in Tokyo to see her. Will he be able to accept the new her or will he turn his back on her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Five Years Later

It was a  beautiful summer evening, and a 17 year old boy was standing at Tokyo trainstation looking at a piece of paper. It had taken him 5 years, but he had finally found her adress. He knew where she lived, and he knew where she worked. Now he only had one problem. He had never been to Tokyo and had no idea where he was supposed to go. He looked at the piece of paper again and sighed. Maybe he should just ask someone. He looked around and walked up to the first person he spotted.  
“Excuse me, I'm looking for a friend of mine, would you tell me how to go to get to this adress?”  
The man that he had asked looked at the paper then smiled at him.  
“If the second adress is where your friend works then I'd say he or she is probably there right now, you know.”  
The boy looked puzzled at him.  
“But would she be there this late? Aren't most jobs during the day?”  
The man smiled again.  
“Not at this place. I'm going that way myself, so I'll show you where it is.”  
The boy slowly nodded and followed the man down the street.  
  
Fifteen minutes later the man showed him to the front doors of a night club called Fusion. He looked at it in wonder for a moment. Did she really work here? And would he even be able to get in? He thanked the man and started walking towards the entrance. Well, if he didn't get in he would just have to wait outside until she finished work. Because he was going to see her. Much to his surprise he had no problems with entering the club and he headed straight for the bar. He didn't have much money so he just ordered a cola and sat down looking out at the dance floor. He couldn't see her anywhere. He turned to the bartender and said:  
“Excuse me, but I'm looking for a friend of mine. I heard she was working here. Her name is Haneoka Meimi.”  
The bartender looked at him for a moment before he called out to someone behind the bar.  
“Me-chan, you have a visitor. Says he's a frind of yours.”  
The boy looked at the door behind the bar labeled “Staff only” and waited.  
  
Heneoka Meimi had just changed her clothes and finished her make-up when she heard Zed, the bartender at Fusion call her. A visitor?  
“Who?”  
She heard him talk to someone out there before he called back.  
“He says his name is Asuka, do you know him?”  
And in that moment Meimis heart stopped beating for a moment. Asuka. It couldn't be. What would he be doing here? And how did he know she worked here? She felt her face warming up and in that moment she took back the control of her body. She calmed down her heart, checked the mirror to be sure her face was it's normal color, took a deep breath and opened the door.  
“Yes, I know him. We'll take my usual table, and could you get me a drink?”  
Zed nodded at her and smiled.  
“The usual right? I'll come over with it.”  
“Thanks.” Meimi finally turned to face Asuka and it struck her how tall he had become. Otherwise he looked pretty much the same as when she last saw him, 5 years ago. She came out from behind the bar and started walking towards a table. “Follow me.”  
  
Asuka could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the beautiful woman that exited the staff door. Her hair hang loose like it used to, but it was much shorter and hardly reached her shoulders. But what took his breath away was the clothes. She was wearing a black u-ringed top without sleeves and a short black skirt topped off with a pair of high-heeled boots. The make-up brought out her eyes in the most beautiful way and at one glance nobody would have guessed that they were the same age. He followed her to a booth that was put quite some way from the others and sat down to face her. She didn't say anything and neither did he for a while. They just sat looking at each other, taking in all the changes in the other. Just a few moments after they sat down the bartender came over with a glass for Meimi and she immediately started to fidget with the straw, looking straight down in the glass. Asuka on the other hand was looking suspiciously at the bartender. He wasn't sure he liked the way he looked at Meimi. But before he got time to think too much about it Meimi spoke up.  
“So... How did you find me?”  
He looked at her in surprise for a second. She had almost sounded angry. But he quickly found his voice.  
“I'm the son of a police officer you know. And ever since the Saint Tail case they kept wanting me to help them, so I had a lot of resources. But it still wasn't easy. You made yourself hard to find.”  
  
Meimi sighed. She had known that he would try to find her, so she had made it hard on purpose, hoping that he would give up, and she had thought that she had succeded. Apparantly not.  
“I thought I asked you not to look for me. Why did you come all the way here?”  
She saw his the hurt in his eyes and immediately felt a sting of guilt. She knew very well why he had come here, how could she not know...  
“I told you that I wouldn't let you go, didn't I? And I ment it. Do you have any idea how I felt when you just left without a word? You even lied to me! And then you go hoping I won't follow you? Do you really know me that badly?”  
Meimi looked in slight horror at the boy, no, he wasn't a boy anymore, the man at the other side of the table. He seemed unaware that he had raised his voice at her and the pain in his eyes made it hard for her to look at his face. She suddenly felt the need to defend her actions.  
“Don't you think I know how much it must have hurt you when I left? Don't you think it hurt me too to have to lie to the one person I didn't want to lose? That was the hardest decision I have ever made and I hoped that you would one day understand that I didn't have a choice but to distance myself from the people I knew and start over.”  
She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. There was Zed, and he looked worried.  
“Is there a problem Me-chan?”  
She shook her head warily and managed a smile.  
“No problem Zed, but could you call in Rei to take my place tonight? I don't think I'll be able to work properly until I sorted a few things out with Asuka.”  
Zed nodded understandingly and immediately took up a cellphone. A few moments later he winked at her and made a thumbs up. Meimi sighed in relief, Rei had been able to jump in for her. She looked at Asuka again and sighed once more. They had a lot of talking to do when they got to her apartment. Luckily it wasn't very far.  
“Wait outside, while I change. Then we can talk, I think we need that.”  
And with those words she turned her back on him and walked to the changing room behind the bar, without looking back at Asukas confused and hurt face.  
  



	2. An Akward Reunion

When Meimi came out from the entrace to Fusion, saying goodbye to the guard outside, Asuka almost didn't recognize her. The image was the complete opposite from what it had been inside the club. She had removed all her make-up and was dressed in casual jeans and a leather jacket. He wondered briefly what she was wearing underneath the jacket, but shook that thought away immediately. He watched her as she approached him and then suddenly they were standing face to face, neither knowing what to say.  
  
It was Meimi who broke the silence in the end.  
“Let's go. It's chilly out here.”  
As she turned and started walking down the empty street Asuka stood frozen to the spot for a second before he followed. It was chilly, but it was the feeling of being complete strangers that made him shiver. He felt that the woman walking in front of him was someone he didn't know at all and that scared him. For the first time in these five years he wondered if he had really done the right thing coming here.  
  
Meimi was walking fast in hope to hide her nervourosity. Altought she had gone out with boys since she came to Tokyo, she had never stopped thinking about Asuka. He had always been there in the back of her mind. But since she hadn't expected to see him ever again she had ignored that feeling in hope to put it to rest. It hadn't worked though and now he was suddenly here. She didn't  know what to say to him so she just kept walking towards her apartment.  
 _'God, I need a drink.'_  
  
When they reached a house and Meimi started to walk up the outside stairs to the second floor Asuka understood that they had reached their location. He followed her up and inside the fairly big apartment.  
“Just take a seat anywhere. Do you want something to drink?”  
Asuka looked up at Meimi and shook his head. He took of his shoes and sat down on a couch that was standing in the middle of the living room. A few minutes later Meimi joined him, but in one of the armchairs, with a drink in her hand. Asuka looked at the transparant liquid curiously.  
“What's that?”  
  
Meimi looked at him with a smirk. She knew he wouldn't approve of her answer.  
“It's Gin and Tonic. You want one?”  
She looked at his face and the smirk grew wider when he opened his mouth to say something, _'probably going to lecture about how we're way too young for alcohol or something'_ , but to her surprise he closed it again just shaking his head in defeat. _'Now that is an interesting reaction.'_  
She looked at him in silence for a moment then she sighed. It was time to talk.  
“So, you managed to find me after all these years. What's your next plan?”  
  
The question threw Asuka off completely. He hadn't acctually thought any longer than to find her. He had just assumed that everything would work out by itself when he did. He looked at her sheepishly.  
“I'm not really sure. I was mostly focused on finding you.”  
This truth earned him another sigh, but before she could say anything her cellphone rang. She took one look at it then switched her gaze to him again.  
“Sorry, I have to answer this.”  
He nodded and watched as she put the phone to her ear, listening intently on the conversation.  
  
“This is Meimi.”  
...  
“Oh, hi Scott how are you?”  
...  
“I'm fine. What's on your mind today?”  
...  
“I'm sorry, tonight 's not a good time.”  
...  
“No silly. An old friend suddenly came to visit.”  
...  
“Yes, I'll see you tomorrow at Fusion then. Bye.”  
  
“Sorry about that.”  
“It's okay.”  
Asuka watched her take a sip of her drink when something suddenly hit him. She hadn't asked how anyone back home where doing! Wouldn't that be the first thing you want to know when you've been away for a long time? Didn't she care or was it possible that... Before he could finish his thoughts she answered the question for him.  
“So, I hear that Ryoko and Chiba-kun got toghether last week. I think they would be so cute together.”  
  



	3. Everyone But Me...

_”So, I hear that Ryoko and Chiba-kun got together last week. I think they would be so cute together.”_  
  
Asuka looked at Meimi with big eyes. So she did get information on what happened back home. He wondered briefly where she got it from, before it hit him. Mimori Seira of course. That made complete sense. She wouldn't leave without keeping in touch with her best friend. But he barely had time to relax before her next comment made his entire body rigid.  
”Oh, and I got a call from Sawatari yesterday. He said that Rina got engaged, is that true?”  
  
Meimi didn't realize her mistake until it was too late. She had only meant to break the ice by talking about people they both knew but when she looked at his widened eyes and saw the hurt in their depths, she knew she had messed up. She had, without thinking, let him know that she had kept in contact with their mutual friends when she had refused to contact him. Her hands started trembling at the look on his face and she took a sip of the drink in her hands to hide it.  
  
Asuka felt like he had been hit over the head with a hammer. He lowered his eyes to the table and couldn't make a sound. He couldn't believe it. So everybody knew how to get in touch with her, except him? Why had she kept him in the dark? Didn't she think he had the right to know? He cursed his trembling voice when he spoke.  
”It's true. She's getting married next spring.”  
  
”I see. Then I'll have to go back for the wedding.”  
Meimi could tell that he was controlling himself hard not to let his frustration take control, but she kind of  wanted him to throw a tantrum. It would clear the air and then they could start over. She gave him a tired look.  
”Don't look at me like that. If you've got something to say, then say it already.”  
  
Her last line broke down Asukas' last bit of self-control. He jerked his head up and met her eyes with a defeated look in his eyes.  
”Why? Have you been keeping in contact with everybody else all this time?”  
He watched her nod reluctantly and turn her eyes away. He could feel his blood boiling with humiliation.  
”Why didn't you contact me? Why did you contact everyone but me?” His voice was weak and suddenly all strenght left him. He slumped on the couch and couldn't look at her.  
  
Meimi looked at him with sad eyes. He was hurt, she knew that. And she understood, she really did. It wasn't that she hadn''t wanted to talk to him, she just hadn't been able to bring herself to call him. Not after she lied to him like that. The guilt of decieving had been eating on her for the last five years. She had lifted the phone to call him more times than she could count, but she always put it back down. She had felt that she didn't have the right to talk to him after all this and so she had tried to forget him. Without succeding. But she had no idea how to tell him all this. She knew she would have to eventually, but right now she couldn't find the words. Instead she said the only thing she could think of before downing her drink with a few  large gulps.  
”I'm sorry.”  
  
Asuka looked up at her hesitantly. She wasn't looking at him, she was looking down in the now empty glass in her hands. He could tell that she was troubled and he guessed that his sudden appearance was the reason. He didn't really know what to say to ease her mind since he didn't know exactly why she was troubled. He just sat in silence and looked at her.  
After a few minutes of silence he saw her look at her wrist-watch.  
”It's late. We should go to sleep. We'll talk more in the morning.”  
With those words she rose and started walking towards one of the doors leading out from the living-room. She pointed towards another door and smiled slightly.  
”That's the guestroom. You can take it for now. I'll see you in the morning.”  
Before she shut the door behind her he could hear her murmour.  
”I missed you.”  
  
Fifteen minutes later they were both lying on the beds in their seperate rooms, unable to fall asleep. Meimi was thinking about what she should say to him in the morning. Everything had gone so wrong today. She would have to explain somehow. She'd do that over breakfast.  
Asuka on the other hand was thinking of those last words. _'I missed you.'_ He was sure that's what she said. But he didn't understand. If she missed him, then why hadn't she called. He hoped to get an explanation the next day. He turned on his back and stared up at the cealing.  
“I missed you too.”  
  



	4. Meimis' New Life

When Asuka got out of bed the next day (he was quite surprised that it was already four in the afternoon) and went out to the living room there was a note on the table. He hesitantly picked it up and read it, half expecting that Meimi had run of again. The word on the note calmed him however.  
  
 _I have gone out to buy some food and will be back shortly._  
 _Get yourself something to eat from the kitchen._  
 _/Meimi_  
  
He put the note back down and went to the kitchen. When he opened the refrigirator he gat a slight chock. It was almost empty. The only thing he saw in there was butter, cheese and a few bottles of cider. He sighed and rummaged the cupboards for bread.  
When Meimi came back he was sitting at the kitchen table with a sandwich, but he immediatly rose to help her with the big bags she was carrying. She thanked him automatically when he carried them into the kitchen. As he started unloading the bags he found that she had bought enough to last two people for a week. Did  that mean she was planing on letting him stay?  
  
Meimi saw the look he gave the food and shrugged.  
”You don't have anywhere to go in Tokyo, right? I can't just let you roam the streets now, can I? So for as long as you're planning to stay here, you can have the guest room.”  
She stopped for a moment to think.  
”Now that I think about it, how long are you planning to stay in Tokyo?”  
She gave him a piercing look and awaited an answer. It didn't come immediatly though and when he finally opened his mouth she had a pretty good idea of what he ws going to say.  
”I haven't really thought about it,” he admitted with low voice. ”I was only thinking of finding you.”  
  
He could hear her sigh as she turned her back on him and went out to sit in the arm-chair. For several minutes neither of them said anything while he put the rest of the food in place. Then he went out to her and placed himself on the couch.  
”I should have known you hadn't thought this through,” she finally said, not looking at him.  
He felt a little guilty at her tone of voice,  and looked at her desperately. But before he could say anything she raised her head and smiled weakly at him.  
”But I guess that's one of the things I like about you.”  
  
Meimi had given up all resistance and accepted the fact that he was there. And if she had to be honest with herself, she didn't want him to leave in a hurry. She was only worried about how he would react to the life she led now. But there was only one way to find out.  
”But if you want to stay there are a few things you need to know.”  
She could see the hope in his eyes and had to turn her face away.  
”My life is mostly going on at night. That's when I work and that's when I meet friends. I need to know if you can handle that.”  
  
Asuka nodded quickly.  
”I can handle anything as long as you don't turn me away.” His words were true, but when he saw a sad smile emerge on her face he almost regretted them. And her next words made him a little worried.  
”I could never turn  you away, not now when I finally met you again. But I'm worried that after you get a taste of my life you will want to flee back home as quickly as possible.”  
”It can't be that bad... can it?”  
”Well, for someone with your sense of morals, it probably is. I'm actually surprised that you let me finish my drink yesterday without scolding me.”  
  
Meimi's smile had become brighter as they spoke and now she was even feeling a bit giddy. There was so much that she wanted to tell him, needed to tell him. But she knew it would have to wait until she knew that he would be staying. She glanced at her watch. Six thirty. Right about now... As if on cue her phone began ringing and she hurried to pick it up.  
”This is Meimi.”  
 _'Hey Me-chan, this is Scott.'_  
”Hi. What's up?”  
 _'I was just wondering of you're up for tonight? You're free today right?'_  
”Yeah, I'm free. But I have a friend staying here right now, can I bring him?”  
 _'Sure, no problem. Eight at Anne's place?'_  
”We'll be there. Bye.”  
 _'See you there.'_  
  
Asuka had listened curiously at the phone-call altough he could only hear one side of it.  
”We'll be where?”  
He saw Meimi look at him with a mix of amusement and worry in her eyes.  
”Looks like you'll get a taste of my life sooner than I thought. We are going to meet some of my friends tonight. In fact in one and a half hour. We better get ready.”  
”Ready? But what...”  
”Relax,” there was a hint mockery in her voice wich made Asuka shiver. ”It's only a party. Jeans and a tee  wll do fine. I'll take the shower first okay.”  
Without waiting for an answer she left him standing there and headed for the bathroom.  
  
Asuka was ready about ten minutes after taking a shower, but it took almost an hour longer before Meimi emerged from her room. When she did, Asuka could only stare at the beauty before him. Her short, brown hair was slightly ruffled, giving it a bit of a wild look. The make-up was done so perfectly that you almost couldn't tell it was there. It was obvious that she had done this a lot. But t was the clothes that made it work. She was wearing a pair of worn jeans with a hole on one knee, and with that a black top with very this shoulder-straps.   
”Ready to go?”  
He could only nod as he watched her pull on a par of black boots and a leather jacket.  
  
Meimi knew the way to Anne's basement on the back of her hand. The friend's parties was usually held there since it was the biggest place. As she led Asuka through the streets she could almost feel his nervourosity. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring him after all. _'Well, too late for  that now.'_ As they reached the door she turned to look at him.  
”Ready?”  
After recieving an affermative nod she opened the door and stepped into the music.  
  



	5. The Outcome of a Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note to say that Scott, Anne, Hiro and Riku are my OCs and thus belong to me ^^

The first thing that hit Asuka when he entered the basement was the music. It was so loud that he could hardly hear himself thinking. He glanced at Meimi, who didn't seem fazed at all. She had reached a small group of people and was now talking very loud so that they would hear her. She suddenly waved him over and put a hand on his shoulder.  
”This is Asuka, from where i lived before. Asuka, this is Scott, Anne and Hiro.”  
He greeted the three while taking a good look at them. Anne seemed like a sweet enough girl, with long black hair and smiling eyes. Hiro was apparantly Anne's boyfriend. He looked a little wild, with bleached hair and pierced ears, but the welcoming smile he gave was genuine. He wasn't so sure about Scott though. He was a tall red-head with sharp green eyes. And Asuka didn't like the look he gave him right now. It reminded him of the way someone would look at a cockroach or something.  
  
Meimi could almost touch the tension between Asuka and Scott. She had feared that this would happen. Scott had been her boyfriend for a short time last year and still hadn't given up hope of getting her back. This could get ugly. Especcially since her reason for breaking up with Scott was that she couldn't forget about Asuka. And she was stupid enough to tell him that. She hurriedly stepped in between them and flung an arm around each of their shoulders.  
”Now now, let's all get along nicely. Asuka, do you want something to drink?”  
She could see the dissaprovement in his eyes when he shook his head. However, she kept smiling and only shrugged.  
”Fine, I'll just get one for myself then.”  
As she walked towards the table where the drinks were, she lowered her head and sighed. She had known that this wouldn't be easy. By the end of the night he would probably be in a hurry back home. And that was probably for the best.  
  
Meimi's indifference was the second thing that hit Asuka. Hard. He couldn't understand why she was so cold. His eyes followed her when she walked away from them. He felt like he was losing her all over again.  
”So, you actually came all the way here after all.” The voice made him turn back to the trio standing in front of him. He looked at Hiro and nodded in answer.  
”I guess it was quite a chock to see how much she changed,” Anne's voice was full of compassion. ”We were the first ones to befriend her when she came here five years ago, so we know how she used to be. But you better accept that the old Meimi doesn't exist anymore.”  
Asuka looked at her in surprise for a moment before answering.  
”She certanily did change. She's like a complete stranger, and yet I was one of the people who knew her true self the best.”  
He saw the two exchange hesitant looks and wondered briefly what they were hiding from him. But before he could ponder over it for long Scott's voice pierced the music.  
”You'd be better of going back home if you can't accept the way she is now. Her new life don't have room for you anymore.”  
”Scott!” Hiro and Anne looked at him with scolding eyes, but Asuka felt the truth about his words stronger than anything he had ever felt before. It was true, she didn't need him anymore. He was just about to turn and leave when Meimi came back to the group, a large drink in her hands.  
  
”What'd I miss?”  
Meimi made sure to keep her tone casual although the look on Asuka's face made her completely cold inside. In that second she knew. He wouldn't be able to accept the person she was now. Somehow she had known it all along, but she had still kept her hope up, trying to ignore the truth. Anne's words didn't do anything to ease the pain that she was beginning to feel in her chest.  
”It's just Scott that can't keep his big mouth shut, saying things he'll regret tomorrow.”  
Meimi sighed and gave Scott a tired look.  
”If you're going to regret it later, then stop talking rubbish in the first place.”  
Before she  could do anything else she could feel a pair of arms draping over her shoulders.  
”Me, dance with me?”  
She turned around to face Riku, one of the more good-looking guys in this place. She gave him a suggestive smile as she started to move her body in time with the music.  
”Can you keep up with me?”  
Riku only laughed softly as he placed his hands on her hips and led her out on the floor where others were dancing.  
  
Asuka looked after them with a feeling of defeat. The look in her eyes hadn't escaped him and as he watched the two on the dancefloor, bodies close to each other and his hands on her hips, he could feel his heart scatter. Without looking back he started towards the door, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. He turned around to meet Hiro's eyes.  
”Can you find your way back to Me's apartment alright?”  
He just simply nodded and made to leave again when the next question  stopped him in his tracks.  
”Do you have a key?”  
He didn't. He hadn't thought that far. But it was true, he had no means of getting into the apartment when he got there. Suddenlly he felt something cold being pressed against his hand. He looked down and saw a key.  
”You can borrow mine for tonight. Be careful on the road.”  
Before Asuka could ask why he had a key too Meimi's apartment Hiro had turned his back to him and disappeared into the crowd. Asuka clenched the key in his hand and left the basement.  
  
When Meimi came back from the dance she let her eyes wander, looking for Asuka. When she didn't see him she looked at Hiro and Anne with a question in his eyes.  
”He left.” Hiro's voice was casual, but Meimi could sense the held back anger in it. Hiro had always been protecting her, ever since they met, and she could tell that Asuka leaving without telling her had upset him.  
”But he doesn't have a key. Is he planning on sitting outside until I come home? I have to go...” But before she could do so, Hiro grabbed her wrist and held her back.  
”He'll be fine. I lent him my key. Just leave that kind of guy alone.”  
Meimi looked at him for a few seconds before putting a hand over his.  
”Did I ever tell you our story? And the reason why I didn't contact him?”  
  
Hiro looked at her in surprise. She had never wanted to talk about this before, why now? But then he suddenly understood. She needed someone to know, she needed to let it out. But for some reason  she couldn't tell this to the guy in question. He slowly shook his head.  
”No, you didn't. But if you want to, then you know I'll listen.”  
”Mhm. Let's go outside. I can't hear myself think in here.”  
  
~Two hours later~  
Hiro was standing outside the basement with a lit cigarett hanging forgotten between his fingers. He was thinking about the story he had just been told. She had told him everything, about her life as a kaitou, about the game she started and lost, about how she had lied to the one she loved the most. And the reason she hadn't wanted him to find her. He slowly shook his head.  
”If he abandon her I'll never forgive him...”  
  
When Meimi tried to sneek into the apartment with the least noice possible she wasn't ready for what would hit her. The sudden sound of a hard voice hit her like a fist in the stomach.  
”So you finally decided to be conciderate. No need, I've been waiting for you.”  
  



	6. Anger and Confusion

_”So you finally decided to be conciderate. No need, I've been waiting for you.”_  
Meimi startled at the sudden sound and looked around the apartment with wide eyes. When she spotted Asuka on the couch she calmed down a little, but she was still on her guard as she pulled of her boots and entered the room.  
”What are you doing awake? You could have just gone to bed you know.”  
She dropped her leather jacket on the armchair and went for the kitchen.  
”If you are planning on another drink, then don't. I want to talk to you.”  
His tone of voice made her hesitate with her hand on the fridge. There was a slight hint of desperation behind the cold. Then she opened the fridge, resolutely pulled out a cider and opened it before heading back into the living room.  
”Don't order me around. I do what I want.”  
She knew that she sounded childish, but at the moment she didn't care.  
  
Asuka frowned at the defiant tone of voice and the cider while he watched her sit down in the armchair.  
”So, what did you want to talk about?”  
He hesitated for a split second before spilling out everything he had been thinking about since he left the party.  
”Why are you doing this? Why are you deliberately degrading yourself? You are better than this. I just can't understand it.”  
He watched her face closely to try and find a reaction. To his great disappointment there was none. She just simply sighed and took a sip of her cider.  
”I knew you would react like this.” Her voice was tired and she looked at him like he was a child, wich made him unreasonably angry. ”People change you know. Things happen, making them unable to stay the way that they were. I'm no exception.”  
  
Meimi tried to explain the best she could without giving any details, but she saw the anger raising in his eyes as she spoke. She knew that there was no way he would understand. She took  another sip of the cider and waited for the outburst that she was knew would come. And sure enough...  
”You are only destroying yourself by living like this and you know it! What's up with that? You can't even put down that god damned cider while I talk to you! Are you even listening to me?”  
Meimi sighed and closed her eyes wearily.  
”I'm listening.” Then she said the words she knew she had to say, even thoough she knew it would hurt him. ”And so what if I'm destroying myself? That's hardly your buissness is it? It's my life and I'll do with it what I want!”  
  
Asuka stared at her in chock. It felt like he had been smashed to the ground. Hard. Her words hurt much more than he would ever be able to admit. He didn't understand how she could have changed so much in those five years, and frankly, he didn't bother to care anymore. He abruptly rose from the couch and looked at her, anger burning in his eyes.  
”If that's the case, then I'm going to bed now. I can't stand looking at you right now.”  
As he walked off towards the guest room, half expecting being stopped, he could feel his anger deflating and the only thing left was a feeling of emptiness.  
  
Meimi didn't stop him from going, and Asuka didn't turn around before slamming the door shut. If he had, maybe he would have changed his mind. She was holding on to the cider bottle like a life line, clenching it hard. At the sound of his footsteps she couldn't stop the tears from finding their way out of her eyes and down her face. She had known this would happen. She had thought that she had been prepared for it. So why did it still hurt so much? Meimi put down the bottle slowly and buried her face in her hands.  
  
When Asuka woke up the apartment was eerily quiet. He got dressed and went out to see if Meimi was awake, but she wasn't in the living room or the kitchen. He hesitantly pushed open the door to her room and immediately felt a strong surge of worry. The room was empty and the bed hadn't been slept in. Meimi was gone. He slowly went out to the living room again and it wasn't until he sat down that he noticed the note. It was lying underneath the empty bottle from last night, now accompanied by three more. He reluctantly took the note and read it. And re-read it. He rose so quickly that he knocked over one of the bottles and it hit the floor with a loud crash. He didn't even notice. He was already on his way out the door, the note clenched in his fist.  
  
 _I've gone to Anne's and won't be back until tomorrow. I'm not going to ask you to stay. I never asked you to come in the first place. In fact, it's quite the opposite isn't it. So if you're not there when I get home then I won't hold it against you. If you leave then please drop Hiro's key in the mailbox so I can give it back to him._  
 _/Meimi_  
  
It wasn't until he was out on the street that he remembered that he didn't bring his things. He quickly turned back, put the things he had brought with in in his bad and walked out the door again. He didn't leave the key though. He was planning on giving it back himself.  He was going to that place they had been yesterday and say goodbye, so he could give it back himself. No matter how angry he was at Meimi he knew that if he didn't say a proper goodbye he would regret it and never be able to let go. So he walked quickly towards the basement. When he got there however, he got a surprise. Waitiing outside the door was Hiro, and there was nothing of the friendly look left in his eyes. He was furious and he glared at Asuka with stone cold eyes. Asuka opened his mouth to speak but the other man was quicker.  
”You're not getting through this door.”  
Asuka just looked at him with his mouth open for a moment before he composed himself.  
”Why?”  
”Why?” Hiro laughed. A cold, hard laugh that chilled Asuka to the bone. ”Why he asks. I'm surprised you even have the guts to come back here.”  
Asuka met the cold glare with one of his own.  
”I came to say goodbye to Meimi. I'm leaving Tokyo. And to give back this to you.”  
  
Hiro effortlessly catched the key that was thrown at him. He looked at it blankly for a second before raising his eyes to the man in front of him again.  
”I'm not going to let you hurt Me any further by letting you see her. She came here crying a few hours ago because of you.”  
He could see that Asuka was slightly taken aback by this statement, but it didn't last long.  
”I only told her the truth. I won't be associated with that kind of woman again, so I wanted a clean break.”  
”That kind of woman?” Hiro was  slowly loosing his temper. ”Do you seriously think that she chose to live this way?”  
”Well, I can't see how anyone could have forced her to it,” Asuka stated a-matter-of-factly.  
That made Hiro snap.  
”You don't have the slighest idea. You know nothing of what she's been through the last five years. You weren't here to see it so don't you dare judge her!”  
”Then tell me!” Asuka was also shouting now. ”Tell me! Make me understand why she would willingly destroy herself like this!”  
Hiro looked at him coldly for a few seconds, evaluated if he would be able to handle the truth. Then he sighed deeply and turned his face away. The anger was slowly replaced by pain.  
”Fine,” he finally said. ”I'll tell you.”  
  



	7. The Painful Truth

”I was the first one to meet Me when she came here. She was really one of a kind.” Hiro couldn't help but smile bitterly at the memory. ”At that time she was still a naive and innocent child, looking for a place to stay. I ran into her at the train-station. Literally. I was in a hurry and didn't look where I was going and ran straight into her. As I thought that she was cute I offered my apologies by buying her breakfast. We talked a bit and got along almost immediately. When I heard that she had nowhere to go I offered her the guest room at my place. She lived there for almost a year, while searching for something of her own. One day she told me that she had been asked out by a nice guy she had  met while searching for a job. I got a little worried so I lent her my cellphone just in case. I hoped that she wouldn't have to call.”  
  
At this point in the story Hiro paused and lit a cigarette. Asuka noticed that his hands were shaking.  
  
”At about ten she called. She didn't talk, but I could hear a lot of noice. She had called with the phone in the pocket of her jacket, but I only found that out later. I could hear her crying and tried to get her to say where she was. It wasn't until I heard the sound of a train that I realized that she had to be close to the station. I ran off searching for her, but I was too late.”  
  
Hiro paused again and his face twisted into a pained grimace. Asuka wasn't sure he wanted to know the rest, but he stayed silent, waiting for the continuation anyway.  
  
”When I finally found her that asshole was already gone and Me was a mess. She had bruises all over her body and her clothes were torn to shreds. But the worst thing to see was the blood-staines on her skirt. She wasn't crying anymore, she was just staring in front of her. I don't think she could even see or hear me. I had to carry her back to my place and on the way she fell asleep. When we got there I called Anne and asked her to help me. She changed her clothes and washed her the best she could. After that she changed...”  
  
Asuka was looking rather pale now and Hiro wondered for a second if he was going to faint. When he didn't, he decided to continue.  
  
”She tried to jump out my window first thing in the morning the next day. And I live on the fourth floor! Luckily Anne came in and saw her and yelled for me. We managed to get her inside, but she wouldn't look at us. She didn't say a word for days. And after that she got the job at Fusion. She started drinking and partying, and the only thing we could do was go along to keep an eye on her.”  
  
He looked at Asuka with a slight hint of of a smile on his face.  
  
"You know, the night that you came here was the first time in four years when she said no to a party. Do you even understand what that means?”  
Asuka looked uncertanily at him before answering with a weak voice.  
"She probably didn't want to bother you guys with a guy that she knew would object to this kind of living."  
"You really don't get it, do you.” Hiro gave him a look that clearly said that he was hopeless. ”She didn't want you to see this. She wanted you to keep the memory of her as she was, pure and innocent. She would never admit it to you, but when she told me your story last night she told me. She loved you all these five years. She didn't call you because she was ashamed of the fact that the last thing she did to you was lie. She didn't think she deserved to see you or even talk to you..."  
"That would be enough talk about me behind my back."  
They both jumped at the cold voice that was coming from the door. Meimi was standing there, her eyes red from crying. But the look that she gave Hiro could have cut diamond.  
”Me.” Hiro's voice was shaking, but he met her eyes steadily. ”How long have you been there?”  
”Long enough.”  
  
Meimi glanced at Asuka, who was standing frozen with big eyes. It was obvious that Hiro's last words had been a chock to him. No wonder considering the way she had acted ever since he came here. She sighed and leaned against the door. A small part of her was kind of happy that Hiro had told him everything, but she doubted that it would make that big of a difference. She had still lied to him and she was still living the same way. She looked at them in silence for a moment before she started walking down the street.  
”I'm going home. See you tonight Hiro.”  
She didn't wait for an answer as she walked quickly towards her apartment. Then she heard a voice that made her stop in her tracks.  
”Meimi.” His voice was weak, almost begging. She turned to face him and the look in his eyes made her heart jump. ”Can I come with you?”  
  



	8. Reconciliation

_”Can I come with you?”_  
Meimi stared at him with a surprised look on her face. She didn't understand this. Why would he want to come with her? Wasn't he leaving Tokyo just now? Stunned, she could only nod slightly before she turned to walk away. She could feel that he was following her, but she wasn't in the mood to talk just yet. She was tired, and now that her secret was out she felt exposed and vulnerable. Not exactly a feeling she enjoyed. She knew that he probably had his own thoughts on this and they would have to talk about it in time, but right now she didn't have the energy.  
  
Asuka watched the slumped shoulders of the girl walking in front of him. He wanted to apologise. No, he needed to apologise. He had jumped to conclutions without finding out the reasons. That wasn't like him at all. He was a detective, he knew that not everything was the way it looked. Still he had said such cruel things to her. How could she ever forgive him...  
  
When they reached Meimi's apartment Meimi headed straight for the kitchen. She needed a  drink if she was going to sit this out. But when she glanced around with her hand on the fridge, she met a pair of pleading eyes. They were begging her without words that she would do this sober. She sighed and removed her hand. This once she might as well oblige. Instead she reached for the water-boiler that was standing forgotten in a corner.  
”Do you want tea?”  
  
Asuka sighed in relif when Meimi removed her hand from the fridge. He gladly agreed to a cup of tea and then he silently watched her as she boiled the water and poured it in two cups. There was so much that he needed to tell her, to apologise for. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but it had to bee done. When Meimi put the tea down on the living-room table and sat down in the armchair he took a deep breath.  
”I'm sorry.” The words came out faster than he had intended, but now the first step was taken.  
  
Meimi looked at Asuka in silence for a few seconds before lifting her cup to her mouth.  
”Sorry for what? You haven't done anything wrong.”  
She could feel his eyes on her but didn't look at him. She focused solely on the hot cup in her hands.  
”I have”, the guilt in Asuka's voice made Meimi look up at him for a second. His eyes were completely serious and she felt a slight chill up her spine when he continued.  
”I said some really terrible things to you. I judged you and your lifestyle without asking for the reasons. I didn't know anything, still I...”  
”Don't be silly”, Meimi cut off. When Asuka looked at her with surprise in his eyes she sighed. ”Of course you didn't know anything. I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to know, so I tried to scare you away by pretending that this was my prefered way of life, not one that I ran away into.”  
  
Asuka was looking at the girl on front of him. Her voice was steady and didn't show any emotions, but her eyes were clouded and she wasn't looking at him. In fact, she made sure that she didn't meet his eyes. He wondered slightly if she was going to start crying, but instead she leaned her head back and closed her eyes with a tired look on her face.  
”Well, you've got the story from Hiro. Now what do you want to do? Do you still want to leave?”  
There was a hint of hope in her voice, but Asuka couldn't figure out if she was hoping that he'd leave or that he'd stay.   
”Tell me honestly, do you want me to leave?” The words left his mouth before he could stop them. He looked warily at Meimi who opened her eyes and looked at him, straight at him this time.  
”If you want to leave I won't stop you. But if you want to stay... that would be nice...”  
  
Meimi looked nervously at Asuka. Would he stay by her side? Her heart skipped a step when he suddenly smiled briefly.  
”If I'm allowed to stay, then I would be happy to.”  
Meimi was so happy that she could have rushed up and hugged him, but she didn't. Instead she smiled and put her cup down on the table.  
”Of course you're allowed to stay. The guest-room is yours for as long as you want it.”  
  
Asuka was so happy that he could stay that he almost missed her next words. They were spoken very softly, as if she was talking to herself. And she probably was, because he didn't understand what she meant.  
”Maybe you can  keep my head above the water-line.”  
”Eh?”  
Meimi looked up at him and blinked as if she just woke up.  
”Nothing, just thinking aloud.”  
Asuka looked at her for a moment, trying to will her to talk to him, but when she suddenly rose and announced that she was going to bed, he gave up. He went into the guest-room and threw himself on the bed.  
  
Two hours later Asuka had to face the fact. He wasn't going to fall asleep. He was lying in the bed, trying his hardest not to think about Meimi and the things he had come to know about her. Something inside him hurt when he remembered it. Then suddenly his musings got cut of by a loud scream. He bolted out of the bed. That was Meimi's voice! And she sounded terrified. He rushed across the hall and into her room. When he entered the room he saw her turning on the bed, covered in sweat and with fear on her sleeping face. He stood frozen for a moment, not knowing what to do.  
  
 _Meimi was drowning. There was water all around her and she couldn't breath. It was painful and she wanted to scream. But if she tried the water got into her mouth, slowly suffocating her. Then she suddenly felt something grabbing her arm, pulling her down and that's when she screamed again._  
  
Asuka grabbed her arm, trying to wake her up. She screamed in fear before he finally saw her eyes open. She stared blindely at him for a moment before she greedily started to suck in air like she had been unable to breath. Asuka was standing silent, letting her come to. When her eyes started to focus on him he asked her what happened.  
”Just that stupid nightmare again”, her voice was still shaking, but she seemed to have calmed down somewhat.  
”What kind of nightmare is it?”  
  
Meimi looked at him for a moment without answering. Then she told him everything. How the dreams started that day four years ago. About the fear she felt while she was drowning. She was terrified of dying. She didn't look at him, but focused on a spot on the wall behind him when she spoke.  
”Before, when I was still Saint Tail, I was never afraid. I knew that it would always work out somehow. But since I came here, everything have changed. So much happened and there is no way it can be undone. I don't know how to deal with it, so I shut it off. But deep inside I'm always afraid that it will happen again...”  
At this point she couldn't speak anymore. Tears had started to fall down her cheeks and she bent her head down, hiding into her hands.  
  
Asuka stood frozen. He didn't know what to do when she started crying. Then he acted on pure instinct and pulled her into a tight embrace.  
”You don't have to be afraid”, he whispered softly. ”I won't let anyone hurt you. I'll protect you!”  
Her answer was so soft that he almost missed it.  
”Thank you...”  
They sat like that for a while before Asuka felt her getting heavier. She was asleep. He gently put her down on the bed and held on to her hand. He looked at her face with a gentle feeling. She was sleeping with a smile on her face.  
  
”Don't worry. I won't let you cry ever again.”  
  



	9. Epilogue

A sunny Saturday in June five people arrived at the trainstation of a small town. They were dressed to the nines in smokings and dresses. They headed immediately for the town church and one of the girls, a short-haired brunette was skipping excitedly.  
”I haven't been back here in forever”, she chirped. ”It's going to be so much fun to see the others again.”  
A boy with bleached and his arm around the other girl laughed.  
”Calm down Me, you'll trip and ruin your dress if you're not careful.”  
The others laughed as the brunette glared at  him. Then she laughed too and continued skipping along the street. When they reached the church she calmed down a little, only to let out a happy squeel when she spotted a familiar figure.  
”Seira!” she called as she started running towards the girl dressed in white. She flung her arms around her and felt the hug being returned with as much enthusiasm.  
”Meimi-chan! How glad I am to see you! It's been forever.”  
They were interupted by a calm voice from behind Meimi.  
”Long time no see Mimori.”  
The girl looked at him for a moment, then her face broke into a wide smile.  
”Asuka Jr. I was wondering where you had disappeared to. I should have known you weren't far away.” Her tone was teasing and the tall boy blushed slightly at the remark. But before he could say anything back to her, Meimi was dragging the other three persons with them towards Seira.  
”Seira, this is the friends I told you about. Anne, Hiro and Scott”, she said while pointing at them in turn. ”This is my best friend, Seira.”  
  
Meimi smirked while doing the introductions. The first thing she noticed was the was that Scott looked at her friend. The second was that Seira didn't seem to be able to take her eyes of Scott. It would be wonderful if the two of them got along. That would probably mean that Seira would finally come to Tokyo to visit. She gave the two one last look before she turned towards the church entrance.  
”Are Sawatari and the others inside already?”  
”They are. You should go and greet them. They all missed you, you know.”  
”I know.” Meimi grabbed Asuka by the hand and practially dragged him along towards the church. She could hear the others following and as they entered they were met by a bunch of smiling faces. Everybody wanted a hug or a word, but before she had managed to greet everyone, the churchbells announced that the wedding was about to start. They all quickly slipped into their seats to wait for the bride.  
  
”Rina was so beautiful in her dress!” Meimi sighed when the cermony was over. Asuka looked at her with an amused smile on his face. In his opinion Meimi was just as breathtaking in her pink dress, but he  could never say that out loud.  
During the dinner both Meimi and Asuka noticed that Seira and Scott got along very well. They were placed together at the table and were happily chatting away. They didn't go quiet until the speaches were announced. Meimi swallowed down a feeling of nervourosity. She was supposed to hold a speach. When it was her turn she slowly rose from her seat and smiled at Rina.  
  
”My dearest Rina. I am so happy to be able to be here on your big day. Looking back it's pretty amazing that I am. I didn't like you at all when I first met you. Actually I found you extremely annoying for a long time...” She was interrupted by giggles from the ones that had been there at the time. Rina smiled widely at her and she could tell that she remembered those times well. Rina had been bent on catching Saint Tail and had from the very beginning suspected Meimi, meaning that she practically stalked her for a long time. Meimi chuckled slightly before she continued.  
”But circumstances made us friends and with time you became someone very precious to me. Life's ironic isn't it? But because of that, I am able to share this moment with you and for that I'm very grateful.”  
The speech was followed by loud applause and Rina and Sawatari even stood up while clapping their hands together hard. Meimi blushed a little from embarrasement, but smiled brightly at her friends.  
  
Two hours later Meimi and Asuka was walking on their own, talking about the wedding, when they suddenly heard a loud giggle from behind a couple of trees. Asuka looked at Meimi with surprised eyes.  
”Hey. Wasn't that Mimori?”  
”It sounded like her.”  
They slowly approached the sound and what they saw made them speechless. They decided to leave again and made their way back to the pathway. After a while Asuka was able to say:  
”Well, they _did_ get along surprisingly well all night...”  
Meimi could only nod, but a grin was starting to grow on her face as they left Seira and Scott behind them...  
  



End file.
